Much Ado About Rucking

I’ve been listening to a number do menopause podcasts lately and “rucking” has been mentioned a few times. Rucking is not a new idea. It’s just a fancy term for walking with a weighted rucksack – something we’ve all done if we’ve been hiking before. Rucking has its roots from military training workouts and it has grown in popularity particularly because of its benefits for women during and after menopause. Given my penchant for doing things that tick multiple boxes at the same time, rucking has caught my attention.

Just a friendly reminder that these are my own notes and observations. They are not intended to be used as a replacement for any medical advice from your doctor. Please see your health professional before engaging in any activity.

Why is Rucking Good?

Rucking has positive effects on bone health, muscle mass, and cardiovascular health – three health indices that are frequently top of mind whenever I work out. As an activity that targets all three simultaneously, how could I pass up the opportunity to incorporate it into my routine? Since I already walk regularly, all I would need to do is add a weighted backpack. Too easy!

Bone Density

As a weight-bearing exercise, rucking puts stress on bones, encouraging them to become stronger and denser. Studies link weighted walking to reduced bone loss and increased bone density. Since women become more susceptible to osteoporosis after menopause, rucking is an easy workout to incorporate into a regular routine with its low entry threshold.

Building Muscle

As a strength exercise, rucking helps to prevent sarcopenie (muscle loss) by building and maintaining strength in the lower body and core. Declining estrogen levels, reduced physical activity, and changes in protein metabolism during menopause can lead to a decline in muscle mass but this is easily negated by incorporating rucking into our workout routine.

Cardiovascular Health

Since rucking is also a cardiovascular workout, it keeps our hearts and lungs in good shape. This indirectly supports overall physical function. This is especially helpful if running is not an option (due to injuries or problematic knees). Rucking is a great workout since it offers a lower impact way to elevate heart rate and improve fitness.

Other Benefits

If these aren’t enough reasons to start rucking, we can add weight management, mental wellbeing, and improved posture to the list of benefits:

• Weight Management: Rucking burns more calories compared to walking without added weight.
• Mental Health and Well-being: Being outdoors (especially being immersed in nature) improves mood, mental health and emotional well-being.
• Improved Posture: Carrying a weighted pack can improve posture by engaging core and back muscles. This could potentially alleviate back pain which may be common during perimenopause.

Accessible

Rucking is easy to get into. It can be done almost anywhere as long as we have a backpack with weights and a space to walk. It is also easily adapted to different fitness levels by adjusting the weight, walking duration, and pace. Being a low-impact workout, rucking is places less stress on joints, making it a good option if we have joint issues or injuries. 

Is Rucking Alone Enough?

Rucking is a full-body workout that engages various muscle groups. The main muscle groups engaged are the legs, core, and back. While rucking primarily targets the lower body, back and core, it also engages muscles in the shoulders and arms to some extent. Although rucking is not a primary muscle-building exercise like weightlifting, it can contribute to muscle growth, especially when combined with a progressive overload approach (gradually increasing weight, distance, or duration).

Muscles and Bones

Although rucking builds muscular endurance, bone density and cardiovascular fitness, it does not offer the same level of muscle hypertrophy or specific strength gains compared to traditional weightlifting. Rucking is not great for building upper body strength, bone loading in our arms and wrists, or for building max strength and power.

• Upper body strength: rucking does load the back, shoulders, and arms through a full range of motion the way they are with presses, pulls, or rows.
• Bone loading in the arms and wrists: bones need direct loading for building and maintaining bone mass, for example, pressing, pulling, or lifting weights with our hands. Rucking mostly loads our spines and hips.
• Max strength and power: rucking is more of an endurance activity. Without lifting heavier or using bodyweight resistance, we will slowly lose the ability to generate force, which is important for fall prevention.

As far as strength training is concerned, we still need to hit the gym for heavy work (squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, pull-ups) or bodyweight work (push-ups, dips, lunges, step-ups). If you need to hear it from the expert, watch this video interview with Vonda Wright.

Being strong is not optional—it’s essential for women’s long-term health and independence.

Revitalize, Mind Body Green

Regarding bone health, impact loading (if your doctor says it’s okay) with short bursts of light hops, skipping, or jogging will stimulate bone more than walking alone.

Cardiovascular Training

Rucking alone could provide sufficient cardiovascular training for healthy aging if it is done at the right intensity, frequency, and duration. However, it is less adaptable for very high-intensity bursts (like sprint intervals), which are important for maintaining peak VO₂ max as we age. Since the goal is to reach a VO2Max target of 50 at age 50, it is going to be quite tough to meet without incorporating sprint intervals if we aren’t already there. That said, rucking is still an excellent workout option for our less intense days since we shouldn’t be pushing high intensity everyday.

Rucking Equipment

To get rucking, we will need some weight. This can be done in two ways: wearing a weighted backpack (the traditional ruck) or weighted vest. Which one is better?

Weighted Backpack

These are the advantages of using a weighted backpack:

• Better for bone density in the spine and hips because the load sits higher, providing vertical compression on the vertebrae.
• Easier to adjust the load since we can just add or remove weight plates or bottles.
• Better for posture training because it forces you to maintain an upright posture against the backward pull.
• Better for heavier loads.
• More comfortable for longer distances with padded straps and waist belts that spread weight. If you use a proper backpack with fitted chest straps and waist belts, it can prevent the backpack from shifting when climbing stairs or moving on uneven terrain.
• Easier to clean since we can take out the weights and wash the bag.
• More comfortable for longer walks. Can also carry additional items, like food and water.

The disadvantages of using a weighted backpack:

• Less even front–back loading which can pull the shoulders back if it is poorly fitted.
• Can cause neck or shoulder pressure if it is not adjusted well.

So the important points to note with a weighted backpack is to make sure it is fitted properly and that the weights are properly placed so they feel even distributed, won’t move around as we walk, and don’t dig into the back.

Weighted Vest

The advantages of getting a weighted vest:

• Even front–back load so it feels more balanced on the torso and has less spinal pull.
• Good for joint-friendly bone loading, especially for hips, knees, and ankles.
• Won’t shift around as much during movements like stair climbs or moving on uneven terrain.
• Can double as resistance for bodyweight exercises, like squats, lunges, pull-ups, or push-ups.

The disadvantages of using a weighted vest:

• Usually limited to 10 to 15kg before it starts to become restrictive.
• Weight sits lower so it offers slightly less upper-spine compression compared to a backpack.
• It can feel hot and restrictive in warm climates.
• Not as versatile if it is the type with fixed weights (also not as easy to clean).

Starting to Ruck

The next question is what weight to start with. Beginners should aim for 5 to 15% of bodyweight, but err on the side of caution and start lighter if you are not sure. The danger with any new activity is always going to hard too soon and ending up with an injury or getting hurt. For those who are new to rucking but are fairly active, 15 to 20% of bodyweight is a good weight. Is there a maximum weight? The recommendation is to avoid going above 30% of bodyweight unless you have specific training goals and are very conditioned. Such heavy weights are usually unnecessary if the goal is health and longevity.

Always maintain proper form – watch your posture and engage your core to maximise the benefits and minimise the risk of injury. Don’t push too hard when starting out. Always speak to your doctor first, especially if you have health conditions. Once you get used to it, you can gradually begin to increase the duration, distance, and weight.